^4 (A)Do not answer a fool ^[a]according to his foolishness,
Or you will also be like him.
^5 (B)Answer a fool as his foolishness deserves,
So that he will not be ^(C)wise in his own eyes.

¹⁷ Like one who takes a dog by the ears,
So is one who passes by and ^[a]meddles with ^(A)strife not belonging to him.

²⁰ For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no ^(A)gossiper, ^(B)quarreling quiets down.
²¹ Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a ^(C)contentious person to kindle strife.

²² An ^(A)angry person stirs up strife,
And a hot-tempered person abounds in wrongdoing.